. >> reporter: the fire is only 5% contained, but in some part of northern california, hills have not burned in years, leaving brush dense and dry. fire analyst taro pusina says that is creating more intense fire. >> the drought is creating much drier conditions, and we're seeing much more intense fires burning that are more difficult to kind of predict. >> reporter: certainly, the spread has been fast and unpredictable here on the rocky fire. we now see thick smoke and flame rising from ridges on both sides of us. and, scott, firefighters here are telling us we've got to be ready to move out of this area quickly. >> pelley: john blackstone, thanks. eric fisher is our chief meteorologist at the station wbz in boston. eric, what's next? >> well, scott, the heat has been incredible here in the north. we saw the warmest october, december, february, march, june, and now july, on record in the city of seattle. in fact, the warmest month of any month ever recorded in the city in 125 years. that will continue this weekend. temperatures may touch 90 again on saturday and sunday, a 12th and 13